17 Comic Book Characters We’d Like To Hang Out With

Comic book characters have pretty interesting lives. For many of them, fighting evil villains, aliens, cyborgs and whatnot is pretty standard. What would it be like if you could pick their brains? Pretty awesome, we’re guessing. Imagine getting to spend a couple hours listening to Tony Stark recount battle stories (although given his history with alcoholism, a bar might not be the best place for this), or having the chance to ask Thor what Asgard is like. If you want someone to save you from a burning building, you’ll probably want to call Superman. If you’re having magical difficulties, give Dr. Strange a ring.

But who are the characters who would be the most fun and/or interesting to hang out with, or to kick back and relax with? While there are, of course, a lot of characters our inner fangirls/fanboys would love to meet IRL, we’ve narrowed the list to these 17.

17. Deadpool

OK, how could you not want to get a beer with Deadpool?? He has a fantastic sense of humor and you’re pretty much guaranteed to find yourself involved in some pretty crazy hijinks. Hanging out with the Merc with a Mouth might not be the safest decision, but it certainly won’t be boring. You could ask him what it’s like to kill the Marvel universe (yes, we know, the story isn’t canon, but given Deadpool’s tendency to break the Fourth Wall, we’re pretty sure he’d know what you’re talking about).

In fact, the possibilities for Fourth-Wall-breaking conversation starters are pretty extensive. Wade, what’s it like to be played by Ryan Reynolds? Wade, who’s going to play Cable in the sequel? Wade, what’s your favorite Deadpool comic? Plus, how much fun would it be to see him get blitzed and start raving about Bea Arthur? It would be a pretty unforgettable experience.

16. Squirrel Girl

Squirrel Girl would be fun to hang out with because she’s a little odd, but in the best way (although, somehow, we imagine her as more of a Shirley Temple girl). She’s also super nice – one of those really sweet people you can’t help but like – so she’d be pretty pleasant company.

Also, she’s totally relatable. Before becoming a superhero, she’s a huge Iron Man fangirl (been there), and she crushes hard on Speedball (done that). What’s great about Squirrel Girl is that she’s not just sweet and adorable – she also kicks ass. She’s a Great Lakes Avenger, and defeats major Marvel villains like Thanos and Doctor Doom single-handedly. She’s multifaceted, and she definitely has some interesting stories to tell. That combined with her cheerfulness and sunny disposition would make hanging out with her pretty great. Plus, she seems nice, so you probably wouldn’t get into too much trouble while spending time with her.

15. Jessica Jones

If you decide to go for a drink with Jessica Jones, on the other hand, you might find yourself under the table. Still, she’d be awesome to get a beer with. Jessica is like that tough, cool kid in high school you always wanted to hang out with but felt like too much of a geek to approach. Jessica’s not your typical superhero. She’s snarky and a little rough around the edges, and we love it. But she has a big heart and cares deeply about the people in her life, like Luke Cage and her daughter Danielle.

Jessica is unapologetically herself. She tried the whole squeaky clean superhero thing and it wasn’t for her – and she’s totally OK with that. She’s smart and strong, and we imagine she’d be great at telling a sarcastic joke or two over drinks. She’s one of those people who, when you hang out with them, you feel like you’re part of the cool kids club.

14. Harley Quinn

Like Jessica, Harley isn’t afraid to be herself – even if that means being a little nuts (which is, of course, what we love about her). Harley’s BAEs include the Joker and Poison Ivy, so she’d probably have some pretty great stories to tell. And we’d love to hear a firsthand account of her time with the Gotham City Sirens.

But the best thing about hanging out with Harley is that she’s unique. You really won’t find anyone else like her, so hitting a bar with her would be a new kind of experience. She’d be particularly fun to hang out with if you’re going somewhere where there’s music and dancing. If you’re in the mood for partying, she’s the one you call – and she definitely won’t disappoint. And we know some people find her accent a little grating, but we have to admit, we could listen to it all day.

13. Peter Parker

If you prefer low-key, neighborhood bars, Peter’s your man. He’s just a nice guy. Like Squirrel Girl, he’d be pleasant to be around and easy to talk to. And he has an awesome sense of humor. Peter has his serious moments – he’d have to, given everything he’s been through – but he also has a lightheartedness that we’re sure would be endearing if we got to meet him in real life. He is, after all, your friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man.

And for those of you who haven’t heard his origin story 1,000 times, you could ask him about it in person. And, you could also ask him all your burning science questions – it would be like Bill Nye the Science Guy but with a superhero. Plus, you’d have a great pic to share on Instagram because you know Peter would take a hell of a selfie. At the end of the day, Peter’s a good guy who’s hard not to like.

12. Star-Lord

Talk about great stories – Peter Quill has spent years in space, and he’s friends with a talking tree and a talking raccoon (limited as the vocabulary may be, in Groot’s case). He’s the kind of guy who will make you laugh when you’re feeling down. So if you’ve had a stressful day at work and you need someone to join your for happy hour and lift your spirits, Peter’s the guy for you.

Assuming there’s empty space near the bar – like a large parking lot or something – it would be awesome to see Peter fire his Element Gun. And he’s rubbed elbows with all of the cool kids – the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men. What would be really interesting would be to get an introduction to Ship, Peter’s sentient spaceship (clever name, right?) who can also exist in human form. That’s something you definitely don’t see every day!

11. Catwoman

Supposedly, Selina Kyle was partially inspired by Jean Harlow – and she was played by Eartha Kitt in the 60s. That alone should tell you why we’d like to grab a beer (or a cosmo) with her – she’s just so slick and cool. She’s like James Bond meets classic Hollywood. And she’s got the sneakiness and finesse of a high-stakes cat burglar (see what we did there?).

Of course, Selina isn’t always so glamorous – but even then, she has a certain mystique. And she’s interesting because she plays both sides. She’s a criminal, but she’s not evil like the Joker, and she’s even involved romantically with Batman. There’s an air of mystery around her that makes her intriguing as a character. And of course, she teams up with Harley and Poison Ivy as a fellow Siren – and you know we can never get too many Siren stories.

10. Alana

All the characters from Saga are awesome. They’re unusual and unique. There are characters with computers for heads, and cats that can detect lies. But Alana really stands out. She’s silly and flirty, and also brave and not afraid to stand up for the ones she loves.

She’s geeks out like a fangirl over her favorite books, and at the same time, she’ll fight like hell when her family is threatened. She’s an amazing mom, but she doesn’t fall into the old tropes about motherhood. Giving birth to her daughter, whom she loves deeply and would do anything for, doesn’t make her any less of a warrior. She’s a fierce mama bear whose strength is actually enhanced by becoming a mom. Alana’s the kind of person who would laugh with you, and also give you a shoulder to cry on. She’d make an excellent BFF – she’d be right there with you through the fun times and the challenges.

9. Loki

Think of him in Loki:Agent of Asgard. He sings The Wizard and I from Wicked in the shower! Loki is complex, and that’s what would make him so interesting to talk to. Yes, he’s a villain – but he really only turned out that way because he never felt like he was truly loved or accepted. So you can empathize and understand where he’s coming from. And although he does villainous things, he also demonstrates a desire to be better – to do something good in the world.

He has conflicting motivations (and you see this clearly manifested in his different incarnations). So it would be fun to get him just buzzed enough to let you in on what’s going on in his head. Loki has been around the block a few times – it would be great to hear his take on the history of the realms. And of course, we’d really love to see him do that gender-swapping thing – so cool.

8. Verity Willis

Speaking of Loki, one of his few true friends is Verity Willis, a human with the ability to detect any form of deception, including false advertising. She has to work from home because all of the billboards, posters, etc. that she passes on the streets overwhelm her with their misleading messages. So it would be fascinating to talk to Verity about all those shiny images we see in magazines, or about the election cycle.

But what we really love about Verity is that, despite the fact that she’s constantly being bombarded with dishonesty, she still has faith in people. She believes in Loki has confidence in his ability to become a better person. Even when she has reason to doubt her friend, she sticks by him. Verity’s loyalty, optimism, and quirkiness would make her a fun person to hang out and grab a drink with. Plus, she has some pretty rockin’ tattoos.

7. Black Panther

T’Challa is a bit of an “It Boy” these days – and for good reason. His appearance in Captain America: Civil War was awesome, and we’re loving the comics by Ta-Nehisi Coates. How often do you get to have a beer with a king? It would be fun to chat with him about life in Wakanda. And maybe he’d even bring a little piece of vibranium that you could sell on eBay.

T’Challa is great because he really cares about his people. Showing up for them and being an effective king and Black Panther is very important to him. He’s a strong and loyal leader, and while the title of Black Panther is hereditary, he did have to earn it, as well. So, as he demonstrates at various points, although he was born into royalty, he doesn’t act like he feels entitled. Also, it would be a lot of fun to get to hear his stories about Storm as a teenager.

6. Mary Jane Watson

Mary Jane is spunky and has lots of personality. She seems like the kind of friend who would convince you to do karaoke even though you don’t really want to – but then of course you’d end up having a great time. She may not be a superhero like Peter, but she has had a pretty interesting career of her own, including runs as an actress and model.

M.J. has an exuberant attitude that would make her a lot of fun to be around. At the same time, she is able to take things seriously when necessary, and genuinely cares about the people in her life. She’s also independent, and doesn’t allow Peter’s life as Spider-Man to prevent her from living her own life the way she wants to. She’s fun-loving — someone who would joke around with you. And she’d probably be happy to hit the pool table at the bar.

5. Michonne

Michonne is a badass and consistently demonstrates her ability to survive in extreme conditions. Danai Gurira’s depiction of her in the TV series is awesome, but the comic give us a slightly darker – or at least more complicated – look at Michonne. She loses multiple lovers during the zombie apocalypse, and fails to be there for her children. She even comes to resent being seen as strong, to a degree, because she feels the others sometimes only see her as a fighter. Nonetheless, she still has a big heart and is very loyal to the people she cares about.

It would be pretty fascinating to have a chance to talk with someone who has been through so much grief and trauma but is still able to hold space in her heart for her friends (even if she is battle-hardened). She’s an interesting character because she has a lot of strength, but a lot of vulnerability as well.

4. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

It would really be the best kind of head-trip to grab a beer with the heroes in a half-shell (turtle power!). They’re weird, zany, and fun-loving. Even the more serious Leonardo would be fun to meet. These guys seem like they’d be pretty laid back – the kind of guys you could easily tell jokes and swap stories with over drinks.

Plus, let’s be real, how often do you get to meet talking reptiles? Maybe they’d even teach you a few ninja moves – and if you’re really lucky, you could persuade Michelangelo to treat you to a slice of pizza. April and Splinter might even come along, and you’d get to meet the whole gang. Although somehow Splinter doesn’t seem like the type to hang out and chill. And, since we’re all comic book fans here, it’s worth noting that you could probably win some points with these guys by slipping in a few Daredevil references here and there.

3. Jim Gordon

Jim Gordon is a standup guy – the kind of person you could probably turn to if you need help thinking a situation through. He values integrity and being reasonable. In most contemporary incarnations of the character, he sometimes doubts Batman’s vigilantism, but knows that in some cases it is what’s called for, demonstrating that he’s able to see shades of gray.

Gordon has seen a lot of Batman drama up close and has played an important role in the protection of Gotham, and it would be pretty interesting to hear about some of his experiences. Jim is smart, tough, and committed to doing what he thinks is right. He’s just an all-around interesting guy, and spending a couple hours with him will probably cause you to think about some things in a new light. And you could probably get him to tell you what Oracle is like in real life.

2. John Constantine

You’d have to be in the right mood to meet up with Constantine, as he can be a little abrasive and cynical. But if you’re in that headspace, he would probably be awesome to hang out with. He’s a foul-mouthed British dude who’s kind of like a cross between Hunter S. Thompson and Sherlock Holmes. He’s an adrenaline junky who lives life on the edge. And he’s a super powerful sorcerer.

He has a pretty extensive, international network of contacts, so he could probably give you the inside scoop on some interesting folks. And he has just been around a lot of weirdness, so his stories really won’t be like anyone else’s. And more recently, in The New 52, he has been involved with the Justice League Dark (such an ominous name!), a group of more supernatural characters who deal with issues that are supposedly unsuitable for the Justice League. And you know you’d love to pick his brain about that!

1. Wolverine

Wolverine was pretty much made for hanging out in bars (actually, lurking in bars might be more accurate – Wolverine doesn’t exactly “hang out”). A dark bar in some shadowy corner somewhere is his natural habitat. Wolverine is brash and crass, and it would admittedly be pretty fun to see what he’s like after a couple of drinks. At the same time, he’s the kind of rough-edged character who you kind of suspect has an inner wounded puppy – he has been through lot of heartbreak – and that part of his personality would mean he probably wouldn’t be a total jerk to talk to.

Getting a beer with Logan would give you some pretty awesome bragging rights – how cool would it be to say you got to meet an actual mutant? And let’s be honest, it would be worth it just to be there for the inevitable bar fight that would ensue.

–

Can you think of any superheroes that would be a hoot to hang with? Let us know in the comments!